that is a big tax increase. >> reporter: and deep across the board spending cuts in defense and other areas of the federal government. >> the plans that the white house has talked about thus far, they couldn't pass either house of the congress. >> reporter: president obama says he will not sign a bill without a tax increase on incomes over $250,000. he met with a room full of ceos in washington today. >> i know that many of you have come down here to try to see, there a way we with break through the logjam and go ahead and get things done. and i'm here to tell you that nobody wants to get this done more than me. >> reporter: and yet house speaker john boehner says the president hat not responded to republicans' latest proposal. >> that offer included significant spending cuts and reforms and it included additional revenue. and frankly, it was the balanced approach that the president has been asking for. >> reporter: perhaps the boehner-obama phone call has moved things along. >> there is lots of activity looking at options. what we don't have is a meeting of the mind. this will requir